Jacksonville Middle School" />
Faced with outdated and inflexible learning environments, unused spaces, chaotic drop off and pick up, and no central gathering area, doing nothing was not an option for the Jacksonville School District. Not only is the junior high experience a pivotal time in a child’s life, but of all the district facilities, the junior high was positioned to serve every student in the district.
How does the school district transform outdated and inflexible learning environments, unused spaces, chaotic drop-offs and pick-ups, and no central gathering area into an adaptable facility that supports 21st-century education and student development?
Additions and renovations were designed to maximize flexible and adaptive spaces, create clear and comfortable circulation paths, separate bus and parent traffic, and be a center for the community.
- Safety Features
- Hands On Labs
- Maker Spaces
- Small Group Rooms
- Teacher Planning Areas
- Community Spaces
- Flexible Learning Environments
- Award of Merit, Exhibition of Educational Environments: IASB/IASA/IASBO 2018 Conference
The site underwent a major shift in vehicle and pedestrian traffic patterns to increase safety and security. Entrances to the 14-acre site were moved. Parent drop-off areas are now separated from bus traffic, and access to the main entrance is clear and visible.
The facility was designed to be a center for the community and can be used for extended periods during the day and the year. The solution was designed to maximize flexible and adaptive spaces and to welcome the community with a clear entry space. The community commons, at the heart of the building, opens into the auditorium for local theater groups and can be separated from the academic wings as desired. A new gymnasium addition with adjacent fitness center and health lab is easily accessible to the public.
A new Elementary School has been built to replace the outdated, non-functional, and rigid elementary spaces previously housed at Lincoln (3-5) and Washington (PK-2). The unified PK-5 facility implements best-practice education design in an approximately 65,000 s.f. building, creating 15%-20% square footage efficiencies for the district.
At 50 years old, the Eisenhower High School for the Decatur Public School District was physically worn, and functionally ineffective. The school district conducted a community engagement planning process to determine how best to meet the current and future educational aspirations of the community.
With the implementation of a county-wide sales tax that provided additional funds to public schools across the region, the Mt. Zion School board wanted to invest funds into facilities that bolstered the community's small town traditions. The new athletics field house and auditorium within Mt. Zion High School provide ample space for a myriad of academic and civic events.